'Hawaii Calls' and Ho brought joy to soldier

Having enjoyed your wonderful music during the past decades, all I can say is: Don Ho, I salute you.

I go back to the days of "Hawaii Calls," having listened to Alfred Apaka and Haunani Kahalewai and "Hawaii Calls" when I was stationed in Korea, Japan and other places, but you always brought smiles, sunshine and joy to my days no matter where I was.

You have brought some of the most enjoyable music to me and my family and you are and always will be the greatest.

As a retired soldier, I say again, Don Ho, I salute you, and thanks for the memories.

Lost wallet returned, aloha still alive

I have visited the island of Oahu many times because my grandparents live here. Before this visit I had never taken the time to realize the kind nature of all the people who live here. Everywhere I turn there are thoughtful people who seem to be doing every little thing they can to make my stay more enjoyable. I do not know if I am a special exception, but I have found that the people here are filled with kind hearts and they use them often.

I lost my wallet at the University of Hawaii. I was taken back by how hard the campus security worked to return it to me. It made my vacation so much better knowing that someone would take the time to pick my wallet off the ground and bring it to campus security so it could be returned to me. Whoever they were, they must have had better things to do than look after my things! I am overjoyed that there are still decent and kindhearted people in this world. Though it might be different for others, I am convinced that the aloha spirit is still alive!

Lawmakers, do right by substitute teachers

Recent letter writers are all "on the money" about the back pay owed to substitute teachers. As a certified, licensed and credentialed teacher with 34 years of experience, it has been my privilege and pleasure to serve our great state for 27 years as a substitute teacher.* It would be heartening if the Legislature would, finally, do the right thing and affirm the 2005 decision by Judge Karen Ahn that compensates us for gross and negligent underpayment.

Who knows? I might even return to work so that the custodians, security guards and others now minding classes in lieu of adequate sub staffing can do their jobs.

Imus debate exposes leaders' hypocrisy

The Don Imus controversy has rightfully sparked a debate about double standards in racial sensitivity. The list is long.

If the public stoning of Imus by black leaders comes, as they claim, from a concern with misuse of federally mandated public airwaves, they should demand the same of non-FCC-regulated cable companies. MTV, BET and others pipe racism and misogyny into millions of homes and children with impunity. The race of the offender and that of the offended determines what's acceptable both by self-appointed moral arbiters like Al Sharpton, the press and the public.

The fact that Sharpton was able to get away with insulting a large majority of the New York population a few years ago is puzzling. In Hawaii, Haunani Kay Trask was allowed for years to use her position as a public servant to spew divisive and incendiary demagoguery without ever being held accountable for it.

As long as we hold different segments of society to different standards, any dialogue about race relations is moot.

Mayor has had to clean up after others

I agree with John Pinero that Mayor Mufi Hannemann has raised taxes for some issues he has taken on; however, is it for the good of the city or not?

Our sewer system decided to combust right after Hannemann was elected. Was it a smart decision for the mayor to dump raw sewage into the Ala Wai? Maybe he should have let our sewage system back up and overflow into our homes. If that had occurred we would not have to worry about contaminated waters on our shores.

Our traffic problem also has become a hazard for many of us commuters under the Hannemann administration. We never had a traffic problem prior to Hannemann taking office, and no other mayor has offered any ideas to alleviate our congestion problem. We should keep our bus schedules as is, do away with the Superferry idea, disband the railway system and allow everyone to purchase any vehicle they please without considering the upkeep of our roads and highways.

Change is what Hannemann has given us and he has stood his ground on representing Oahu's best interest. It takes someone with guts to go against the political puppets and fight for what he feels would be best for us here. Hannemann's administration is not responsible for the turmoil we have experienced recently -- it is merely the cleanup crew for past mayoral administrations. Mayor Hannemann, I applaud you on a job well done.

CORRECTION Friday, April 27, 2007 » Public school substitute teacher Jo Jennifer Goldsmith, who supports a claim that the state owes substitute teachers about $65 million in back pay, said, "The salient point in my eyes is we need qualified people to watch the children." She was misquoted in a story on Page A17 Sunday as saying, "We need quality people to watch the children." Also, Goldsmith's letter to the editor in Saturday's Star-Bulletin about substitute teachers' back pay omitted her first name. And an editing error deleted the preposition "for" before the words "27 years," resulting in a grammatical error. Please see the applicable Corrections Page for more information.